


growth and time will grant us love | ringsy

by lockedinmybody



Category: Unter Uns
Genre: Bisexual Male Character, Coming Out, First Kiss, Fluff, Gay Male Character, Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-30
Updated: 2018-09-30
Packaged: 2019-07-20 19:09:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16143647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lockedinmybody/pseuds/lockedinmybody
Summary: “I can’t believe it’s been a year since I got it.”Ringo smiles teasingly at him. “I knew you were gay before then, but I didn’t say anything because you wouldn’t have believed me anyway.” Easy purses his lips to smother a smile and stands behind Ringo, throwing his arms around him. “You’re stupid.” Ringo smiles wide and Easy kisses the apple of his cheek. “But cute stupid.”***What if Ringo and Easy collided before Easy's coming out?





	growth and time will grant us love | ringsy

**Author's Note:**

> basically that scene where easy comes to get ringo for the csd party and easy reminds him that it's been a year since he came out and ringo tells him that he knew easy was gay earlier but he didn't say anything, that scene was stuck in my head ever since i saw it for the first time, and thus this fic was born. enjoy!
> 
> please tell me what you thought/felt, either here in the comments or on [tumblr](https://softlofty.tumblr.com/) :)

Attraction is a weird, unbounded thing. That is the conclusion Easy comes to. It is the only logical one, the only way to more or less explain what is happening. 

Ringo has been in his life for far longer than Easy ever wanted him to, and 90% of the time they spend together consists of fighting and shouting. He has always been there, even when Easy did not want him to be. _Especially_ when Easy did not want him to be. Locking horns over girls and anything else that would be between them. 

Being annoyed with Ringo is the easiest thing in the world, and Easy thinks he is always asking for it. His head tilted high, a smug pull around his mouth, saying anything that will coax a reaction out of Easy. It puts them in a room together more often than Easy wants to be, and if anyone were to ask him to define the relationship between himself and Ringo, he would not know what word to choose.

What do you call the guy who makes you feel frustrated in a way that no one else can, knows just how to push your buttons and crawl under your skin until you feel like you might explode, who fucks you over time and time again and forces you to make mistakes as well, who you get locked in a shoe closet with to make sure you do not get bitten by a snake and somehow that is one of the more _pleasant_ memories you have with them?

It feels like things have somewhat settled between them now anyway, Suji long gone and the both of them having returned to their normal, more separate lives. 

And then somewhere along the line, as Easy is handing a customer back their change, Ringo walks out of the door with a man in tow, who he says something to with a smile dangerously close to the one he always gives Easy, and then Ringo just hooks an arm around the man’s shoulders and kisses him, indulgingly and lingering, his eyes giving the man a flirtatious once-over when they part. 

It takes a few moments before it registers with Easy that he has never seen Ringo like this before with a guy. He knows that within their friend group they are probably all fine with this, and Easy reminds himself that this has nothing to do with him, and he should not care.  
But Easy’s eyes do not move, and what stands out is how comfortable Ringo looks, not attempting to hide anything despite the fact that he has not told his friends and roommates about this. Nothing about it is out of place, the way Ringo handles himself and the man he presumably spent the night with as confident and cocky as everything else he does. Easy finds himself transfixed, feeling a spark of interest as he watches Ringo kiss the man’s mouth once before walking away. 

When their whole friend group is gathered that evening in the flat share, Easy realises he is not the only one who noticed something, because Paco is the one who brings it up. “Ringo?” Ringo makes a disinterested noise and keeps his eyes on his magazine. “Did you have someone over last night?” Paco waits a beat before settling on ‘someone’, and Ringo lifts his eyes. Easy grips his mug a little tighter, eyes focused on Ringo, who sighs and puts the magazine away, standing up in the middle of the room. 

“If you must know, I spent the night with a man. I am bisexual.” The last word rolls off of his tongue as if it comes directly from his heart, firm and secure, the seeds of his being now having rooted, finally strong enough to reach all the way out, blooming and flourishing. Easy can see how it is a part of Ringo, how he does not try to separate it from himself but instead it’s fully ingrained, not something he feels shameful or regretful about, and it makes so much sense now that Easy feels stupid for not seeing it before. 

Ringo immediately walks back to his seat and picks up his magazine, and Easy hides a smile behind his mug. Everyone else in the room also goes back to what they were doing after a moment, and Tobias meets Easy’s eyes for a moment, and Easy realises he knew. 

When Easy is in bed that night he thinks about the way Ringo looked at that guy, about what it would feel like to have that kind of gaze on you. He had never seen Ringo look like that, his face a little softer than usual but still sharply focused and a wicked glint in his eye that could make you forget your own name.

Easy’s dreams are saturated with Ringo. His gaze firmly set on Easy, something like a decision flickering through his eyes as he grabs Easy’s hands, strong arms coming around his body as Ringo presses them together.  
Easy can feel Ringo’s nose brushing against his shoulder and then he buries his face in the crook between Easy’s shoulder and neck. When he pulls back he does not go far, their foreheads resting against one another and Easy sees how Ringo’s eyes keep going to Easy’s mouth and then back up. 

The Ringo of his imagination is closer than the actual one has ever been, yet it feels so vivid and within reach. And he opens his mouth and starts talking, and his voice is low and quiet, rumbling in between them as it keeps Easy where he is, letting the image and sound of Ringo wash over him.  
“I can’t believe I finally get it now,” Ringo whispers, and Easy can feel a warm puff of air against his lips. “Get what?” Easy murmurs. “That I like men too.” 

Ringo leans in and lets one hand glide against the side of Easy’s face, his fingertips grazing over the stubble on his cheeks. “That wanting to kiss someone is okay, even when there’s a beard in between.” His eyes trail over the details of Easy’s face, and he _has_ to know what he is doing, Easy’s mouth parting as he helplessly leans into Ringo’s touch. 

When Easy wakes up, his head feels foggy and clouded, and he’s half hard but he ignores it because everything feels a little too near and cramped, and the more he thinks about it the more the panic seems to settle in. He knows, can feel he’s somehow drawn, but it is like there is not enough space in his head and air in his lungs to deal with this right now, so Easy tells himself to stop. Dreams are a way to process the things that happen to you, so it is not that weird to dream about Ringo the night he comes out as bi. 

He spends the day in the kiosk, and in the late afternoon Ringo jogs by, almost going past him but then taking a few steps backwards anyway. “Hi. A water bottle please.” Ringo says breathily, and he keeps hopping from one foot to the other, earning him a look from Easy. “I’m keeping my heartrate up,” Ringo explains, a hint of annoyance in his voice like he would rather be doing anything else than explaining himself to Easy. “Here. Two fifty please.” Easy says as he places the bottle in front of him, and Ringo reaches into his pocket and gives him the money. As Easy puts the coins in the till, Ringo starts stretching, grabbing his elbows with his hands as he pulls his arms behind his head, his T-Shirt riding up as his arms are raised. Easy can feel that he is looking at that strip of skin for too long, but his mind is stuck on how Ringo’s stomach is as tan as his arms.

And the thoughts keep coming from there. He can see the definition of the muscles in Ringo’s abdomen, and Easy bets that if he wore his sweatpants a little lower, he would see a V-shaped dip around his pelvis. Ringo is toned everywhere, now that he thinks about it. Easy had seen his ridiculous biceps before, but he rolled his eyes at it, put it away as vanity and arrogance. Now, it makes Easy wonder if Ringo’s type of guy also has to be muscular. What kind of man would he even be into? 

“Just because you know I’m bi now doesn’t mean you get to ogle me.” Ringo says, Easy’s eyes snapping up to his and it is definitely meant as a sharp witty comment, but Ringo does not look pissed off enough for it to come across as mean. Easy feels flustered, doesn’t think he has _ever_ felt flustered by Ringo before and desperately wants things to feel normal again. “Take your water and go.” Easy says with an unamused eyeroll, and Ringo raises his eyebrows but jogs on anyway, and Easy knows he did not buy it. 

That night, Easy goes to the rooftop. He had felt wired and jumpy all evening, and Tobias definitely noticed which resulted in worried looks every few minutes which did not help. Leaving Tobias with mumblings of needing fresh air, and when he slowly pushes open the door leading to the rooftop, he can hear someone talking. “Yes, I told them. Honestly, it was fine. I didn’t plan on telling them like this, but they know now so I guess it’s all good.”  
It’s Ringo, and Easy stays still, his flat palm holding back the door. “No one was being an ass about it, so it’s okay.” Ringo pauses, listening to the person on the other end of the line, and then he sighs, continuing to speak in a quieter voice. “I was a _little_ scared. Obviously. Kind of comes with the territory. But I promise you, I’m fine.” There is a few more hums and yes’s exchanged and then Ringo hangs up, Easy now walking out, the door falling shut behind him. 

Ringo turns around at the sound, and he actually looks surprised to see him. Easy stands there, unsure of whether he should have gone back downstairs instead. Somehow it feels a little out of place to resume their usual quips back and forth, the moment too personal to use harsh words, and Ringo seems to be on the same wavelength because his eyes are softened and there is a small smile on his lips.  
“Sorry, I didn’t know you were up here.” Easy says. The night sky is dark behind Ringo, and there is one lamp on and a string of fairy lights at the side, a warm glow across Ringo’s face, and the only word Easy comes up with is _pretty_.

It is like Ringo fits in his skin a little better than before, a certain ease around him that has nothing to do with cockiness, and Easy cannot help but find it attractive. “That’s okay.” Ringo says, and Easy walks over to where Ringo is sitting, taking a seat in the chair next to him. “That was Kira, on the phone,” Ringo says then, unprompted, and Easy turns his head to look at him, “wanted to know how my ‘coming out’ went.” He uses his fingers for the quotation marks, and Easy huffs a laugh at Ringo’s face, clearly unamused by his sister’s intention to make it a big deal but also carrying a fondness for the fact that she cares. 

“And how did it go?” Easy asks when silence falls between them. He shrugs, and Easy is amazed by how unaffected Ringo seems. Especially since it has been on Easy’s mind ever since it happened, like Easy is more bothered by it than Ringo is.  
“It’s fine. It’s no one’s business anyway.” Ringo says, scratching his cheek. Easy hums, hesitating on what to say, but he feels like he should say _something_. “As long as you know,” Easy gestures with his hand and trails off, but Ringo just looks at him questioningly, “you know, that we’re all fine with it.”

Ringo exhales a breathy laugh and rolls his eyes. “Gee, thanks for not hating who I am, that means a lot.” “Well,” Easy stretches the word and Ringo grins at him, “you’re still an idiot.” He does not even look offended, just nods his head like he knows he rubs people up the wrong way sometimes.  
“You just-“ Easy starts but Ringo interrupts him, “Easy, you don’t have to give me a speech about how I’m free to love who I want, don’t worry about it.” He puts a hand on Easy’s arm, his eyebrows slightly raised but a small smile on his lips, knowing Easy means well. 

Neither of them say anything then, and Easy looks down at his hands in his lap. Ringo is not moving either, and it is the type of situation they never find themselves in; sitting in silence together, not arguing or fighting. Actually, now that Easy thinks about it, in the past couple of days they have gotten along better than they have in a while. Easy turns his head to look at Ringo, and before he thinks about it he opens his mouth.

“How did you know that you like guys?” Something like amusement passes over Ringo’s face but then he pulls himself together, and Easy can see he is taking his question seriously instead of embarrassing Easy. “Once I felt an interest for men, I knew.” Easy takes it in and thinks about it, and Ringo continues. “It feels like an instinct, you know. Like, I knew I was not looking at men because I liked the suit they were wearing, but because I found them attractive.”

Easy slowly nods his head, and he waits for Ringo to ask the question which is undoubtedly on his lips but he does not. “Also, kissing guys is not all that different from kissing girls in my experience,” Ringo says, and he looks Easy in the eyes, “I mean, it might be when you have a beard like you, but other than that it’s not.”

Easy’s stubble is thicker now than it has been before, and he likes wearing it this way. He never grew a beard as a conscious choice to make himself more attractive to women, but it did cross his mind that he thinks men can look better with a bit of stubble. He frowns and narrows his eyes at Ringo. “Do you feel a beard when you kiss someone?” Ringo pulls the same expression back at him, the corners of his mouth tugging up. “Well, yes. A little.” Easy looks at him incredulously. “How? Do you rub cheeks with the person you’re making out with?”

Ringo laughs at that, turning sideways in his chair. “Listen, if you kiss someone you’re not always like this, right?” Ringo holds his two palms flat together. “Sometimes it goes like this,” He moves his hands sideways, “and then you can definitely feel stubble.” Easy peers at him, and Ringo rolls his eyes before leaning in close, one hand under Easy’s chin.

“See, if I’m this close,” Ringo’s voice is low and quiet, “and if I go like this,” He tilts his head sideways, lips brushing past Easy’s stubble until the corner of Ringo’s mouth is pressed against Easy’s cheek, “I can feel it.” Ringo pulls back but only slightly, and Easy is dazedly look at him, eyes unfocused and lips apart.  
He doesn’t know what to do, only knows that if he moves or stands up the moment will have passed, and he doesn’t want that. Maybe all of the things that have been going through his mind lately have led up to this.

“You can kiss me if you want,” Ringo murmurs, eyes on Easy’s mouth, and Easy leans forward and kisses him. There is a first initial press of their lips together, nothing but a touch, but then Ringo catches Easy’s bottom lip between his own and pulls him in further, and Easy cannot help but lean into it. Easy closes his eyes as Ringo’s mouth moves against his, and then there’s a warm hand on the side of his face, Ringo’s thumb grazing over his cheek. It’s warm and intimate and intense, and kissing Ringo is so much more soft and affectionate than Easy thought it would be. 

They pull apart and Ringo licks his lips, letting his hand fall onto Easy’s shoulder before pulling it back. Easy blinks a few times and clears his throat, uneasiness and anxiety swirling in his gut. He knows he liked what they just did, but what it means feels too enormous and heavy to take on right now.  
Ringo also looks unsure of what to do now, and his eyes bounce all over Easy’s face. “Everything okay?” Easy turns his head, nodding a little too fast. “Yeah. I, I should go.” He stands up. “Okay.” Ringo says, and he looks like he understands what just happened, in a way that Easy definitely does not. 

Easy leaves Ringo sitting there on the rooftop, and makes his way back to his apartment. He does not sleep much that night, fear taking the upper hand, and the memories of that night keep spinning around in his mind, making him feel disoriented with who he is and what he wants. 

Years go by, and on the night of a pride party, Easy makes his way to the Huber Bau offices. “Put your work stuff away, we’re celebrating!” He walks towards the staircase. “Yeah, soon.” Ringo says from upstairs, flipping through his papers. “No, no excuses! I saw Huber walk out the door. If he can leave, so can the true brain of Huber Bau.”  
He walks into Ringo’s office, Ringo mumbling something about needing more time but Easy spins his desk chair around. “All you have to do is to take you and your perfect body with you.” Ringo laughs lightly as Easy leans in and kisses him. He hops up on the table, his legs swinging. “It’s a year today.” 

Ringo shoots him a look. “What?” Easy presses his lips together. “You really don’t know?” Ringo takes a second to think about it but then shakes his head. “We haven’t been dating for a year.”  
Easy rolls his eyes. “I know, but I did come out a year ago.” Ringo puts a few papers in a binder, and after a few seconds Easy speaks again. “I can’t believe it’s been a year since I got it.”

Ringo smiles teasingly at him. “I knew you were gay before then, but I didn’t say anything because you wouldn’t have believed me anyway.” Easy purses his lips to smother a smile and stands behind Ringo, throwing his arms around him. “You’re stupid.” Ringo smiles wide and Easy kisses the apple of his cheek. “But cute stupid.”

And later, when Ringo lets Easy pull him onto the dancefloor by his hands, spinning him around until all he sees is flashes of bright colours and the grinning face of his boyfriend, he thinks himself lucky that their paths did not cross once, but twice, allowing them to fall together in the best way.


End file.
